To bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes.(Isaiah 61:3)
Jesus promised trials in the life for all of His disciples, regardless of the length of time we have been walking with Him. And because we know God does not make mistakes, we can be sure that every single trial we have to endure will ultimately become a treasure to us. As it has been wisely said, “What we lose in the fire, we will gain in the ashes.”
Our Lord Jesus is way too wise to every be wrong and far more faithful to ever be false. He is always at work within us and using every means necessary to conform us more and more into His image and likeness. Now the devil likes to whisper in our ears, “God does not really care for you allowing you to face such difficulties.” But we must always remember that the devil is a liar and a murderer from the beginning. Because we live in a fallen and broken world as fallen and broken people with other fallen and broken people, we will face trials of every imaginable kind. This is not a sign that God does not care for us. In fact, it is just the opposite. God cares and has committed to using every trial in our lives and turning it into a treasure.
Regardless of where this finds you today, remember, God is at work in your life. As you process the trials and difficulties you face in life, keep in view the truth of these words of the psalmist, “In faithfulness you have afflicted me” (Psalm 119:75). In faithfulness God sends the storms into our lives as a way to bring us to the end of ourselves. Only as we decrease, will our Lord Jesus increase in our lives. And experience has taught me that this happens not when the sky is blue and the clouds fleecy and the sun brightly shining. It happens with the storm winds are blowing.
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 